MARTA GABRE-TSADICK

1932 - 2023

MARTA GABRE-TSADICK, 91, the first woman to serve in the Ethiopian senate and co-founder of the Fort Wayne-based nonprofit Project Mercy, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, May 21, 2023, in her hometown of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Born on April 10, 1932, Marta excelled in her studies, distinguishing herself to the point that she earned a national award that was bestowed upon her by his Imperial Majesty the Emperor Haile Selassie and Empress Menen Asfaw. In 1954, Marta traveled to the United States to attend Adams State University, where she graduated with a Bachelor's degree. Upon graduation, Marta returned to Addis Ababa and started working as a Point Four education program liaison officer in the Ministry of Education, appointed by Emperor Haile Selassie to the position. One month later, Marta was selected by His Majesty for greater responsibilities in the Ethiopian Foreign Affairs Office. In that position, she was reunited with another student whom she met in America, Demeke Tekle-Wold. He confessed his admiration, which evolved into love and a marriage that would last for the rest of their lives and inspire many others. Marta and Demeke both served as government officials in various positions. Marta became the first and only female senator to join the Ethiopian Parliament during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie, leading projects focused on the alleviation of poverty and economic and socio-political problems. During Marta and Deme's quest to overcome social barriers, the Ethiopian revolution arrived, bringing about a Communist regime. Upon hearing that the interim military government was going to arrest them in 1975, Marta and Deme decided to escape with their children to meet other relatives in Nairobi, Kenya. Their exile took them from Kenya to Greece to America over two years, where they reunited with their friends, Fort Wayne natives Rev. Chuck and Fran Dickenson. In 1977, Marta and Deme founded Project Mercy to provide refugee relief in eight African countries. Project Mercy continues on today, with a focus on rural community development in her native Ethiopia. Marta is survived by her husband, Deme Tekle-Wold; her children, Yemisrach "Priscilla" (Demeke) Brown of Philadelphia, Bete Demeke of Chicago, Desalegne "Lali" Demeke of Fort Wayne; and seven adopted children; nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her sons, Metiku Sanuel and Michael Tesfaye. Marta and Deme also reared 59 children in their home in Fort Wayne. A reception celebrating her life is 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at the Project Mercy office, 7011 Ardmore Ave., in Fort Wayne.